Coin handling mechanism for vending machines, telephones, etc.



Aug. 23, 1932.

G. F. GIBSON COIN HANDLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES, TELEPHONES, ETC

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1931 mwwc Fig.2.

INVENTQR ATTORNE Aug. 23, 1932. G. F. GIBSON ,87 ,7

COIN HANDLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES, TELEPHQNES, ETC

' Filed Feb. 5. 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet :5

INVENTOR 23, 1932- G. F. GIBSON COIN HANDLING MECHANISM FOR VENDING MACHINES, TELEPHONES,. ETC

Filed Feb. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY;

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 Mantras TAT PATENT oFFicE a.

GBAiIVILLE a. eiizson, or snnnvnron'r, LOUISIANA- "coin irnnnmne ivrnonnnr'siu'ronvn nnme MACHINES, 'rELErnoNEsEro.

Application filed February 5, 1931. Serial No. 513,679.

' With the foregoing and other objects in 215 view, the. invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of elements described. illustrated and claimed, it being understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Q

In thedrawings, Figure 1 is a view of the machine in front elevation. v C

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 2- 2 of Figure 1 r v V Figure 3 is a vertical section online 33 -ofFigure2. I I

, Figure 4 is a vertical section on line of Figure 2. g I Figure 5 is a detail view, in section on line 55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is also a detail view, in section, showing the structure above the central portion of Figure 2. 1 v

Figure 7 is a horizontal section through thecoinchute. r Figure 8 is a perspective View of the chute,

looking from the rearr I Figure 9 shows a part of the structure of Figure 6, from the otlierside.

Figures '10 and 11 illustrate details described below; v r

The housing ofthe machine includesthe top. 10, and bottom 11; also the side walls rev quired for a complete closure.

The mechanism of the machine is composed of the following assembled units, detailed description of which follow in order: 7 A hand lever, for operating the machine;.a

. 59 chute for holding a plurality of coins oflike 'in Figure 8 and in horizontal section in Figing facilitated bypivoted and slotted catches 38 of Figure 4, which engage screws 39 of Figure 8.

denomination; mechanism for forcing the desired number "of coins thru the chute, and devices controlling delivery. A lever 16 on the outer portion of the, machine is mounted on shaft 17, having a bear- 7 ing in bracket 18, as shown in Figure 3,1novement being limited by stop 19 of Figure 1. Shaft 17 mounts a lever 20 having a lugior engagement portion 21 thereon, and a series of teeth adapted for engagement by a pivoted 3 go looking dog, or safety device 23, normally positioned asin Figure 2 by opposed springs 24 and 25. This dog prevents attempts at fraudulent operation from being successful :when the machine is in operation by pulling the lever down just far enough for the merchandise to be. delivered withoutforcing the coin out of the chute, then letting the lever return to normal position-and starting the operation all over again. 7 r l e The coin chute of Figures 1, 7 and 8 of the drawings, is positioned on the outside of'the front wall of the machine, as in Figure 1, i being detachable.

It is shown in perspective ure 7, and a chute of the size required for-a given coin willbe employed, the operation of shifting to another chute, when the conditions (selling conditions) are changed, be-

The coin chute includes sides 40 and 41,

engaging and retaining the front plate 42 of. glass. The chute further includes in-- clined portions 43, arear plate 44 andguiding plates or strips 45, 46. The coin is admitted between the edges of. strips 44, and

an elongated spring 47 (Figure 5), of small -gage wire, acts to throw a coinor a slug of smaller diameter than the coin for which v the chute. is intended, outwardly into the clear space 48, where it drops to the deflecting device 49 of Figure 2, and passes below the glass front plate into pan 50, indicating that 96 no operation of the machine can resultfrom a coin of that denomination.

Coins operating the machine forcibly strike bell B after passing. thru the coin chute G into receptacle C, I i 100 Near the top or upper part of the chute is an offset from the chute forming a pocket 55, extending upwardly to the top end of the chute, fitting closely under the overhanging edge portion or member of top 10 On the top surface of top 10 and in line with pocket and attached rigidly thereto, is a metal mouthpiece 55 thru which the coin is dropped into pocket 55. At the bottom of pocket- 55 is an outlet leading into the main chute, thru which coins roll to fill the chute. When the capacity, the top coin in the chute will be near the outlet of pocket 55. p i

If other coins are dropped or deposited in -the pocket before the machine is operated,

the first coin deposited will take the position within the pocket indicated by 56 in Figure 1, the lower edge of which rests against the top edge of the top coin in the slot, until the machine is operated, when the column of coins inthe chute is forced downwardly, then the bottom coin in pocket 55 rests against the flat 1 surface of element 65 until the return thereof to its upward normal position, when the coin or coins in the pocket roll thru the outlet into the main chute to take the place of the coins forced out.

The lower or bottom coin in the chute engages a pin or the like 58, passing thru curved slot 59 in element 44. This device 58 constitutes a crank on disk 60 by means of 'which the spring retained clutch shown concoins (tooperating capacity), the top coin bridges this cutaway portion.

The mechanism for e ect1ng coins from the chute includes a bar 70, to which there is rigidly attached an element mounting a device 66forming a finger, having its upper end pivoted to member 65, which permits the lower end of the finger to swing, this finger having a shoulder 67 and a heel 66. This mechanism is positioned near the front wall of the machine and on the inner side of the housingg and communicates with the chute "of Figure 8 thru the front wall'of the housing.

Bar 70 operates-vertically thru guides 71 -and 71. Also attached rigidly to bar 70 is an arm 69 including a portion 30 extending at a right angle, and on portion 30 there is G mounted an element 28 having several apertures 28, to bereferred to below.

Bar 70, element'65, finger 66, arm 69, carrying element 28' at its freeend and guides 71 and 71 constitute the eject-ing mechanism, by

which coins are forced from the chute.

In Figure 4 shaft 76 is shown as being coin chute is filled withcoins to operation mounted in suitable bearings. At one end of shaft 76 is rigidly attached finger (Figure 2), and at the other end is rigidly attached crank arm 77 (Figure 4). Lever 31 (Figure 2), carrying a hooked dog 36 is pivoted to the side wall of the machine at 32, and hook 36 normally stands in the path of lug 21 on arm 20. Rod 3 1 forms connecting means between lever 31 and rocking arm 77, the points of pivotal connection being at 33 in Figure 2, and on arm 77 in Figure 4. Rod 34, having operative movement upwardly is returned to normal position by spring 35 pressing downwardly against a pin 34 m rod 34t'at the lower end of the spring, and bearing on guide bracket 30 at its upper end.

Rod 27, (Figure 2) forms the connecting means between lever 20, and member 30 of arm 69. i 7

Method of operation in contact with finger 7 5! If the required number of coins have not been deposited, finger 75 engages finger 66 and bringsshoulder 67 in contact with shoulder 67, locking the mechanism.

and rod 34 presses lever 31 downwardly, forcing hooked dog 36 in the path of lug21 of lever 20, forming a second locking device and causing finger 75 to assumetheposition of Figure 2, 1n the path of finger 66. Inc-i-- dent to the downward thrust on rod 34', crank arm 77, rock shaft 76 and finger 7 5 are actuated, in attaining the position indicated: If

Spring 35 pushes downward on rod 34,

lever 16 is operated without the propernumber of coins in the chute, finger 66 on coin ejector 65 is forced by finger 7 5 through cutaway portion 67a, and shoulder 67 engages shoulder 67, preventing further movement of ejector 65. Dog 36 remains in the pathof lug 21, because finger 75 ,is not moved unless' finger 66 is forced to the left by a coin bridging cutaway portion 67 a (Figure 6). When lever 16 is released, coin ejector 65'rises under the action of spring 73, and finger 66 is forced to the left by cam surface 78 on said" finger 66 engaging cam surface 79 on the coin chute (Figure 2)-the movementof finger 66 to the left clearing the outlet in the bottom of the coin pocket 55' of Figure 1 leading to the coin chute.

In case a coin or slug is deposited which is of smaller diameter than the coin for which the chute is intended, and when the machine is regulated to operate on a single coin as:

payment for one purchase, heel 66- on finger 66, will on its downward course push such coin or slug out of the coin chute into the clear space 48, so that it drops into the pan at the bottom of the chute. 'The chute remainsfilled, save for thecoin or coins ejected at each operation. The number ejected is determined as indicated below.

When two or more coins are forced out, a small coin or slug would lodge in the chute out of reach of the action of finger 66, were it not for spring 47 which throws them out of the chute, to be returned to the party who deposited them.

If the slot has the required number of coins, as in, Figure 1, the top coin bridging the cutaway portion 67a, Figure 8, finger 66 will cross the cutaway portion, heel 66 of linger 66 swinging the finger by engagement With the upper coin in the vertical column of coins, and causing shoulder 67 of the finger to move out of the path of shoulder 67, permitting the ejecting mechanism to move downwardly. This movement of finger 66 by engagement with finger 75 on shaft 76 causes crank arm 77 on that shaft to lift rod 34 against the normal downward thrust of spring 35.

Lever or looking member 31 is thus raised and its hooked dog 36 is lifted out of the path of lug 21 on the disk portion of lever 20.

The locking device is now free, but as soon as the locking device has been freed and the ejecting mechanism starts down, forcing the column of coinsin the chute before it (and before the lower coin in the coin chute is forced out of the chute), dog 23, Figure 2, engages the first tooth of lever 20, preventing lever 16 and the ejecting mechanism from returning to their upward normal positions until lever 16 has touched stop 19, thereby forcing out of the slot the required number of coins. At this time dog 23 breaks contact with the last tooth on lever 20, and the large coiled spring 73 (Figure l), which is attached to lever 20 at 7 4, with its upper end secured at 74 to a stationary element, pulls the lever upward to a normal position, and at the same time pushes upward on rod 27 Which lifts member 30 of arm 69, raising the ejecting mechanism to its normal position.

The downward stroke of the ejecting mechanism may be varied in its length by shiftrod 27 at its bottom and top portions, to the various apertures in lever 20 and element 28. If shifted to the left hand aperture indicated by 26 in lever 20, and to the left hand aperture indicated 28 in arm or element 28, the machine will operate on a single coin; if shifted to the middle apertures, bottom and top, it operates on two coins, etc. Each shift of rod 27, adds another coin to the purchase price, or reduces the numer of coins required, depending on the direction of the shift.

In Figures 2 and 8, the element 60a is to be considered as effecting connection between clutch member 61 and an article delivery device to be supported in bearings at 606 carried by frame 600.

As a modification,in Figure 11, a telephone circuit or the like is to be closed when determined number of coins, for releasing the engaging element, a dog positioned to engage and release the lever, and means controlled by said engaging element for releasing the dog.

2. A machine comprising the elements of claim 1, andindependent means for engaging the lever and preventing the operation of the machine when the stroke of the lever is less than a predetermined stroke.

8. A vending device including the elements of claim 1, and mechanism for positively actuating the dog for producing engagement thereof with the lever.

1. In a vending machine, a chute including a main portion afiording space for a predetermined number of coins, and including an ofiset portion for surplus coins, coin ejecting means for engaging and imparting thrust to the upper coin in the main portion of the chute, locking means for the ejecting means, said locking means including an ele-. ment movably connected with the ejecting means and controlled by the upper coin of said predetermined number of coins in the chute, and supplemental locking means op- GRANVILLE F. GIBSON. 

